2006 Football

Preview

Beavers looking to rebuild as they head into 2006 campaign

By Jenna Liechty, sports information assistantJuly 28, 2006

As the Bluffton University football team prepares for the 2006 campaign, head coach
Greg Brooks will be counting on strong leadership from both players and coaching staff
as the Beavers work toward a successful year on the gridiron. After a disappointing
2005 season in which the Beavers finished with 3-7 record (2-4 in the Heartland Collegiate
Athletic Conference), Brooks will be looking for greater commitment and positive leadership
among the players. "We must address the issues that arose last season and get back
to the very basics of coaching and playing," noted Brooks, who will be entering his
fourth season at the helm of the Bluffton football team.

"Keys to this season are going to be building leadership and having people step up
where needed, especially on offense," said Brooks. The building of positive leadership
both on and off the field will be crucial in meeting the challenges in the season
ahead. Although captains have not been named for the 2006 season, Brooks will look
for leadership roles to be filled by experienced upperclassmen who display qualities
of commitment, integrity and hard work.

In addition to leadership, a focus of the upcoming season will be on change. From
a change in the 2006 schedule, to coaching staff changes, to changes in the make-up
of the HCAC, to changes in the offense, the upcoming campaign will speak volumes about
Bluffton's ability to respond to challenges that lie ahead.

The Offense

The 2006 Beavers will attempt to strengthen and diversify their offense by making
some changes in the lineup as well as in formations. With the loss of experienced
seniors Kevin Schelb (Caledonia/River Valley), Brandon Nolin (Geneva/Geneva) and All-HCAC running back Ben Dodds (West Liberty/Bellefontaine), the team will need returning players Jared Owens (Van Wert/Crestview), James Fay (Cairo/Bath), Jeremy Haselman (Leipsic/Leipsic) and Joel Sienicki (Goshen, Ind./Northridge) to create scoring opportunities. Additionally, a large
incoming freshman class with a number of offensive linemen has the potential to help
fill the void left by graduated playmakers. The Beavers will open up the playbook
by spreading the ball around, devising more sets and shotgun plays, and adding variety
to their formations. An increase in big play threats will be an indication as to the
depth and diversity of the offense.

"There is a big gap in our offense that we must fill," Brooks stated. "Senior Jared
Owens is a great starting point for the offense, while James Fay is solid at center.
With the improvement of Haselman last season, I look for increased contributions from
him this year."

The Defense

The strength of the 2006 Beavers lies in its defense, as 2005 All-HCAC players Jeremy Anderson (South Rockwood/Airport), Sam McCullough (Bluffton/Bluffton), Kyle Rode (Delphos, Ohio/Jefferson), and Bryan Lloyd (Elida/Bath) return for the upcoming season. "Anderson is a fine football player,"
Brooks commented. "He could be an All-American by the end of the year. McCullough
is a tough, aggressive linebacker who moves well and Rode, only a sophomore, is a
hard worker who we will look to for an increased presence up front." In addition,
the team will count on junior Ryan Christy (Snellville, Ga./South Gwinnet), who was hampered last season with an injury after
being named the 2004 HCAC Freshman of the Year, to solidify the Beavers' pass defense
in 2006. Senior defensive lineman Kurt Albers (New Bremen/New Bremen) is also returning inside at tackle.

"Defensively, our greatest gap is depth at the linebacker position," said Brooks.
"We will look for great improvement in our linebacker play as we prepare for the upcoming
season."

Special Teams

With the graduation of kicker/punter Seth Burkholder (Bluffton/Bluffton), the Beavers are left with a huge gap to fill. Brooks is unsure
who will fill these vacancies, but he looks to fill the positions in the first days
of pre-season practice with a talented group of incoming kickers and punters.

Coaching Staff

As Brooks enters his fourth season at the helm, several position changes and adjustments
have been made within the coaching staff. With the retirement of veteran offensive
line coach Lou Stokes, Steve Rogers will move from the defense and take over as offensive
coordinator and offensive line coach in his second season at Bluffton. Mark Spencer
will lead the defensive line during his second season as an assistant, and Bill Fisher,
a former Bluffton wideout, will be the running backs coach for the Beavers. Allen
Curtiss, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach; Denny Phillips, defensive secondary
coach; and Brett Burkheimer, wide receivers coach, bring a wealth of experience to
their respective positions for the 2006 campaign.

Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference

The HCAC will remain extremely balanced from top to bottom with the exception of Mount
St. Joseph, who represented the conference in the NCAA playoffs the past two years,
amassing a 19-3 record (11-1 HCAC) in the process. Contributing to the unknown is
the addition of Rose-Hulman to the conference. "There is a lot of parity in the conference,
with not much separating the teams," commented Brooks. The Beavers anticipate that
leadership and hard work during the off-season will push them into the upper echelon
of the HCAC.

With a few changes in the schedule, including the addition of conference opponent
Rose-Hulman and non-conference challenger Kalamazoo, the Beavers look forward to a
competitive season. As Brooks noted, "We have a tough non-conference schedule - our
opponents were a combined 19-11 in 2005 - which should help us prepare for league
play."